Locomotive boiler supporting arrangement



April 16, 1940. K AHNELL 2,197,627

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheetl Karl Jl Ahrwell,4

Hls Attorn y.

April 16, 1940.

K. J. AHNELL LOCOMOTIVE BOILER SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor:

" I-is Attorh e'y.

Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES LOCOMOTIVE BOILER SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT Karl J. Ahnell, Erie,. Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 27, 1938, Serial No. v231,879

2 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotive vehicles and more particularly to means for supporting a boiler upon the framework of such a vehicle.

My present invention is an improvement over the invention of the Ole K. Kjolseth application,

Serial No. 218,784, filed July l2, 1938, and assigned to the General Electric Company, the assignee of the present invention. The said Kjolseth invention was made prior to my invention and I therefore do not herein claim anything shown or described in said Kdolseth application, which is to be regarded as prior art with respect to this present application.

In modern lightweight locomotives designed for l5 high speed operation it is desirable that the weight of the power plant equipment be kept at a minimum. In such locomotives compact and self -contained high pressure boilers are embodied., the walls of which boilers are of relatively lightweight metal determined largely by the internal pressures and stresses resulting therefrom. Accordingly, torsional or warping movements of the vehicle framework as the locomotive passes over uneven roads and other external stresses should be insulated from the boiler so as to minimize the danger of failure thereof due to external mechanical strains.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for mounting a boiler upon a locomotive framework so as to minimize the transmission of warping movements from the framework to the boiler.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a locomotive vehicle embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle shown in Fig. l; Figs-3 5 inclusive are detail views of the supporting means for one end of the boiler and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of the supporting means for the other end of the boiler.

In Fig. 1 is shown a locomotive vehicle comprising a cab structure I0 mounted upon forward and rear driving trucks II and I2 respectively. The longitudinal framework I3 extending between the trucks and supporting the locomotive apparatus is provided with an opening I4 between the forwardand rear driving trucks defined by transverse frame members I5 and I6 and side members I1 and I8 respectively. The boiler i9, which may be lowered into position through an opening in the roof, is supported in the opening of the framework, the lower portion of the boiler being adapted to depend downwardly from th-e framework between the forward and rear driving trucks. Thismethod of mounting the 5 boiler is advantageous, not only for securing a more balanced suspension thereof, but also makes possible the installation of a highly efficient vertical tube type boiler so as to occupy a minimum of space within the cab and at the same time 10 retain the overall height of the locomotive within allowable limits.

The boiler is supported by a three-point suspension arrangement within the frame opening. One end of the boiler is substantially rigidly se- 15 cured to the transverse frame member I6 by two suitably spaced apart supporting devices 20 while the opposite end of the boiler is supported at a single point upon the second transverse frame member I5 by a trunnion arrangement 2I. The 20 devices 20 are preferably spaced as widely apart as permissible and in such a manner that the weight at that end of the boiler distributes equally between them. The trunnion arrangement 2I at the opposite end of the boiler is preferably ar- 25 ranged at the central point as regards the width of the boiler and so that the weightis substantially balanced on each side thereof.

One of the two similar supporting devices 2U is shown in greater detail in Figs. 3-5 inclusive 30 and comprises a right angle bracket member 22 the vertical portion 23 of which is secured, as by welds 24, to the end wall of the boiler I9. The cooperating seat block 25 comprises a base portionl26 which is secured, as by welds 21 to the 35 transverse frame member I6. A raised block portion 28 is formed on the upper surface of the base 26 as by milling suitable grooves 29 along the opposite upper edges of the block. The horizontal foot portion 3U of the angle bracket 22 0 is provided at the under side with a slot 3| for fitting over the raised portion 28 of the seat block the depth of the slot 3l being substantially equal to the height of the raised portion 28. After the boiler is positioned with the feet 30 45 resting upon the blocks 25, it may be fastened securely in position against vertical movements by means of screws 32 inserted through the slightly enlarged holes 33 provided in the feet and threaded into the aligned bores 34 in the seat block. To relieve the screws from any shearing stress due to relative horizontal movements between the seat block 25 and the bracket 22 by reason of vibration of the locomotive vehicle or other causes, I prefer to insert wedges between 55 the adjacent shoulders on the seat block and the foot of the bracket member prior to the tightening of the screws 32. To enable a wedge of suitable size to be used for this purpose the slot 3| on the under side of the bracket foot 30 may be formed slightly wider than the width of the raised portion 28 of the seat block and suitably tapered. With the boiler seated and before the screws 32 are tightened, the tapered wedge 35 may be driven into the clearance space between the shoulder 36 on the foot of the bracket and the side 31 of the raised portion 28 of the seat block as shown in Fig. 5. To accommodate a sec'- ond wedge 38, the seat block 25 is provided with a portion 39 extending upwardly from one end of the base portion 26 forming a tapered slot between it and the end 40 of the foot 30. The wedges are first driven only lightly into position so that the holes 33 and 34 will be in concentric alignment. The screws 32 should then be applied and securely tightened. The wedges may then be driven Ytight and suitably secured as by tack welding to prevent loosening in service. By this arrangement it is seen that the right end of the boiler upon which these supporting devices are used is substantially rigidly anchored to the frame structure. A l According to my invention, the trunnion supporting arrangement 2l for the left end of the boiler, as shown in detail in Figs. 6-8, inclusive, comprises a seat block 42 which is pivotally secured as by pin 43 between parallel side plates 44. The side plates, secured as by welding, bolting or in any other manner to the transverse frame member I5, tend to-prevent lateral movement of the seat block, the bearing portions 45 of the seat block being adapted to engage with the inner walls of the side plates 44. The forward end of the block which extends beyond the frame member I is provided with a convexly arcuate upper seat surface 46, the axis thereof being parallel with the horizontal longitudinal axis of the boiler. A seating block, or foot 41, secured to the left end wall of the boiler I9 as by welding, bolting or in any other manner, is provided with a lower concave arcuate surface 43 having substantially the same radius of curvature as the surface 46 of the seat so as to rest thereon with a relatively large area of contact. The upper surface 49 of the foot is also curved concentrically with the lower surface 43. The boiler resting upon the seat is vretained against vertical movements by a cap plate 50 secured as by screws 5| onto the side plates 44. 'I'he cap plate 50 is provided with an extension 52 having a curved under surface 53 adapted to cooperatively i'lt over the upper surface 49 of the foot 4l. By this trunnion supporting arrangement warping movements of the longitudinal frame members Il and I8 and resultant relative rotational movements between the transverse frame members I5 and I6 may take place without such movements creating stresses in the boiler structure. Upon such torsional movements occurring, the boiler will follow the movements of the transverse frame member i6 to which it is rigidly secured at the one end, the foot 41 shifting in a pivotal manner over the arcuate seat surface of the block 42. Relative longitudinal movements between the frame and the boiler due to expansions of the boiler structure by reason of variations in operating temperatures,` may take place freely without imposing any strains upon the boiler structure.

' Although I have shown the seat block 42 of the trunnion support as being pivoted beween a pair of side plates 44, it is understood that this block may be otherwise removably or iixedly secured onto the frame member i5. 'I'he arrangement shown, however, is preferred in that the assembly and removal of the boiler is greatly facili. tated thereby. The boiler I9 is adapted to beY lowered into position through an opening in the roof of the locomotive cab provided by a removable roof section 55. As the boiler is being lowered into position, it is desirable that the clearances through the framework around the sides of the boiler be conveniently large to minimize the danger of any damage being done thereto. The ltrunnion seat block shown may be pivoted upwardly to the position shown in dotted lines 54 in Fig. 7, while the boiler is being lowered and moved downwardly under the foot 41 as the boiler approaches its final position.

Having described my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. In a railway locomotive having a boiler mounted within an opening in the framework thereof, the combination of means for rigidly securing one end of said boiler to an adjacent frame member, means for supporting the opposite end of said boiler upon a second adjacent frame member, said last mentioned supporting means including a rest pivotally secured to said second frame member, said rest in the operative position projecting outwardly over said opening toward said boiler and in the inoperative position being pivotally movable away from said opening, the projecting end of said pivoted rest being provided with an upper arcuate seating surface and a. bearing block secured to said boiler provided with a lower arcuate bearing surface for cooperatively resting upon said projecting end of said pivoted rest.

2. In a locomotive vehicle, having a longitudinal base framework, a boiler, and removable means for rigidly securing one end of said boiler to said framework, the combination of means for'supporting the opposite end of said boiler upon said framework, said last mentioned supporting means including a rest secured to said framework having a convex arcuate upper seating surface, the axis of curvature thereof being parallel to the horizontal longitudinal axis of said boiler, a bearing block secured to said boiler for slidably cooperating with said rest, said bearing block having a lower concave arcuate surface of substantially the same radius of curvature as said rest and an upper surface curved concentrically with said lower surface, and means secured to said framework for engaging the upper surface of said bearing block and retaining same upon said rest.

KARL J. AHNELL. 

